Earlier this month, we told you the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new regional sports network, SportsNet LA, not being available in almost 70% of LA homes. Time Warner Cable which operates the channel is having difficulty in convincing cable and satellite providers to pick up the RSN. So far, only Time Warner Cable, its affiliate Bright House and smaller providers outside L.A. carry the channel.

One person who is affected by this is none other than the Hall of Fame Voice of the Dodgers, Vin Scully. A DirecTV subscriber, Scully normally stays home when the Dodgers play road games outside of the West Division. Up until this year, Vin could watch games either on Fox Sports Prime Ticket or KCAL, but with the new rights agreement, all of the Dodger games except for those aired by MLB’s national TV partners will be on SportsNet LA.

Like many of Southern California’s baseball fans, Vin will have to depend on the radio call to keep track of the Dodgers. Vin has not said anything publicly about not being able to watch SportsNet LA at home except for a “the less I say, the better” quote.

And as the Dodgers played their North American season opener last night on ESPN allowing all in Los Angeles with a cable subscription to watch, most of the schedule will be a struggle for fans until Time Warner Cable can make agreements with Southern California’s pay TV providers.

Until then, Vin and the 70% of Los Angeles blacked out from the Dodgers will have to depend on the radio to keep track of their favorite team.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.